Allawi: Iran nourishing Iraq’s sectarian quota policy

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Al-Iraqiya bloc leader Iyad Allawi said he is not seeking enmity against Iran, adding although he thinks Iran is not an enemy country, it is backing certain parties against others. “Iran is nourishing the policy of sectarian quota, which is a disaster, not only to Iraq but to the whole region, including Iran, as well,” Allawi said in an interview to the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai, published Saturday. “I am not seeking enmity against Iran and I do not believe it is an enemy of Iraq but I criticize its policy that is backing certain Iraqi parties against others,” the former premier noted. Allawi said he wished balanced relations are established with Tehran based on equality, respect and common interests, calling on Iran to “look at Iraq as a sovereign independent country, not an area of political influence or their back garden”. “Al-Iraqiya was the bloc that won the elections and whoever does not take that fact into consideration are simply do not respect the Iraqi people’s will nor want to see Iraq enjoying stability based on democracy,” he noted. Iraq’s March 7 legislative elections had resulted in the victory of main Iraqi political blocs as Allawi’s Iraqiya obtained 91 seats, followed by Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law with 89 seats, Ammar al-Hakim’s Iraqi National Alliance (INA) with 70 seats and the Kurdistan Alliance of Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani as well as a number of Kurdish Islamic parties with 57 seats. AmR (P) 1